AFC West Showdown: 9-5 Denver Broncos at 9-6 LA Chargers
Tonight comes a match-up between divisional opponents from the NFL's second best division overall, after the NFC North. The two teams squaring off tonight will both likely be playoff teams this season.
The 9-5 Denver Broncos visit the 8-6 Los Angeles Chargers. I believe that with a win tonight, Denver would clinch a playoff berth for the first time since the 2015 season, when they wound up winning the Super Bowl.
Currently, the Broncos are riding high with a four game winning streak, which has really propelled them to become a likely playoff team. They are not a perfect team, but they have been playing well enough and consistently enough for this to be the most successful season for them in nearly a decade.
Meanwhile, the Chargers looked like they were hoping for more than just a playoff berth, and maybe had an outside shot at keeping up with the Chiefs for a while there. Perhaps not a great chance, mind you, but it seemed like they were doing their best to remain in such a position. They were comfortably ahead of Denver in the AFC West, in any case. Then, they dropped three of their last four games, including their last two games, on the road against Kansas City and then against Tampa Bay. Whatever slim hopes that they had of catching the Chiefs is gone, and they now find themselves one game behind the Broncos in the AFC West, as well as the playoff race overall.
That means that this is a big opportunity for the Bolts to catch up. The Chargers won the first game at Mile High earlier this season. Now, they have the opportunity to officially tie Denver in the standings, but effectively to shoot ahead of them by virtue of the tiebreaker.
So a lot is riding on this game. Denver might clinch a playoff berth if they stay hot and win, or the Chargers might take a giant leap in that direction themselves with a win. My guess is that Jim Harbaugh will have his team very prepared, and that they will find a way to get out of their current slump and win this one.
My pick: Los Angeles Chargers
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